Time off leaves Ryu off in Dodgers loss

Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu kicks the mound after giving up his third run of the game in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Dodgers' Nick Punto makes a diving stop on a ball hit by Willie Bloomquist in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig celebrates a first inning single against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Arizona's A.J. Pollock is welcomed into the dugout by Manager Kirk Gibson after scoring in the first inning Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon League did nothing to make the Dodgers’ upcoming decisions about a playoff roster any easier Wednesday night. Neither was particularly effective as the Dodgers lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1.

The loss delayed the inevitable, leaving the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the NL West at six with the last-place San Francisco Giants coming to town for a four-game series.

Skipped in the rotation due to back stiffness, Ryu was pitching on 11 days’ rest but did not appear to have benefitted from it. He allowed hits to the first three batters he faced and five of the first eight. The Diamondbacks scored three times in the first three innings and were in command all game.

“I thought he was okay,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s what he does … he gives up some hits. He throws the ball in the strike zone so he’s going to give up some hits. But he’s a guy that knows what he’s doing. He gets double plays. He keeps us in games and gives us a chance to win.”

Ryu did get three double plays turned behind him. That’s 26 for the year, tied for second in the majors behind Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.

Over his past four starts, though, Ryu is 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA and 29 hits allowed in 24 1/3 innings. His status as the Dodger’s No. 3 starter has eroded over the past month with right-hander Ricky Nolasco outpitching him and potentially leap-frogging him in a playoff rotation likely to be just three starters deep in the first round.

Ryu didn’t sound like a man feeling threatened when asked about a potential playoff rotation after Wednesday’s game – but he did sound like someone who has his clichés in playoff form.

“No. Absolutely no pressure,” he said through his interpreter when asked after Wednesday’s game about the potential playoff rotation. “As players, we just try our best and let the pieces fall where they may. We just try to win as a team.”

Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said he has seen no obvious change in Ryu’s pitching over the past few weeks that would explain the trend in his results. He pointed to the opposition becoming more familiar with the Korean rookie 27 starts into his major-league career now.

“I don’t think so,” Ellis said of any dropoff in the quality of Ryu’s stuff. “There’s more video out on him, a lot more scouting. It’s up to us to execute, make sure he’s making the right pitches. I think he’s fine. When he’s been given the chance to pitch in big games, he’s come through.”

The same can’t be said for League who has been only sporadically effective all season and saw his own status in the Dodgers’ bullpen erode long ago. Wednesday, he returned just one of the four batters he faced – and that was the opposing pitcher who bunted foul for a third strike.

League left the loaded the bases before Brian Wilson came in to clean up his mess. Wilson gave up an RBI single before defusing things with a double-play grounder.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ offense was shut down by Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin and three relievers.

The Dodgers had 13 hits but went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, stranded eight baserunners and scored only on Yasiel Puig’s seventh-inning solo home run into the back of their bullpen.

“We had a lot of chances, had a lot of traffic out there,” Ellis said. “I know we as hitters thought we could have done more. But you have to give him (Corbin) credit. He made a lot of good pitches when he needed to. He’s had a great year (14-6) for a reason.”

Puig’s home run was his 16th, the most by a Dodgers rookie since Raul Mondesi also hit 16 in 1994. It ended Corbin’s night and the next eight Dodgers batters went down in order against Diamondbacks relievers Chaz Roe, David Hernandez and Brad Ziegler.

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